IN only their second season playing in the Kendal And District Tennis League, Coniston men’s team have followed on from last season’s success in Division Three by winning the Division Two championship.

They did so in the most comprehensive style, winning eleven of their fourteen matches, including some extremely testing encounters against Heversham, Kirkby Lonsdale and Kendal.

For most of the season, Coniston enjoyed the luxury of fielding a settled team, with Jona Ilett and Stevie Bushell proving a formidable top pairing, while captain Jeff Atkinson, partnering young Cumbria star Joseph Wilkinson, lost just two rubbers all season.

Supplying back-up to the squad, and contributing invaluable points, especially at the conclusion to the campaign, were Dave Jackson and Alan Turner.

Coniston’s campaign began away to the powerful Bolton Le Sands outfit, on a baking Sunday afternoon in early May and the significance of the hard earned 6-6 draw, became apparent as the season progressed.

Heversham, Kendal and Burneside all fell away to leave Coniston and Bolton as the front-runners.

Halfway into the campaign, Coniston had rattled off six wins in succession, including two stellar performances at home to Heversham and Kendal, winning both 8-2.

By late July, Coniston had opened up a formidable nine-point lead at the top, and going into their last match of the season away at Kendal, they needed victory to finally extinguish Bolton’s challenge.

With Alan Turner being drafted in to replace the unavailable Bushell, Coniston threw caution to the wind and produced an exhilarating show of tennis, winning 8-2 and taking the title back to Coniston for the first time in the club’s history.